November 24, 2014

After having three players taken in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft, there were whispers around UCLA that this season could be somewhat of a rebuilding year. Fortunately for the Bruins, UCLA senior guard Norman Powell is still on the team, and his now expanded role has caused many to take notice, as today Powell was named the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week in a vote of media who cover the Conference.

The athletic San Diego native averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game in UCLA’s two victories last week. Powell was 15-for-24 from the field, 7-for-10 in three-point shooting, and 10-of-17 from the free-throw line for the Bruins in the two contests.

In UCLA’s 107-74 win over Nicholls State on Thursday, the senior recorded 23 points, five rebounds, and two assists along with a perfect 3-for-3 mark in three pointers. On Sunday evening, he posted 24 points while pulling down six rebounds and six steals. Powell has scored in double figures in all four games for the Bruins, reaching the 20-point mark in three of those contests.

The honor marks Powell’s first-career weekly award. It is UCLA’s 57th player of the week selection all-time.

The Bruins head to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island in Nassau. UCLA will take on Oklahoma in the first round on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 2:30 p.m. PT, then will face either Butler or North Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 27. The tournament will wrap up on Friday, Nov. 28. The opener will be televised on ESPN2 while the latter games will be broadcast on either ESPN or AXS.